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A.    BILL 

To  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  cavalry  of  the  Confederate  States. 

1  Section  I.   Tke  Congress  of  the  Confederate  States    of  America 

2  do  enact.  That  whenever  any  regiment,  battalion  or  company  of 
S  cavalry  is  eorving  in  any  State  other  than  that  in  which  it  was 

4  orignally  recruited,  the  Socrotary  of  War,  shall   be  authorized, 

5  upon  application  from  the  General  commanding  the  army  with 

6  which  it  is  serving,  to  cause  the  quartermaster  of  the  immediate 

7  command  to  take   up  on  his  property  return   the  horses  ridden 

8  by  all  of  the  enlisted  men  of  such  command,  and  the  horses  thus 
.9  taken  up  shall  at  once  become  the  property  of  the  Coafederate 
10  States,  and  shall  be  branded  with  the  letter  of  the  company 
H  and  number  and  initials  of  the  regiment  to  which  they  belong. 
12  Company  commanders  shall  receiot  to  the  quartermaster  for  the 
IS  horses  thus  taken  up,  and  each  man  shall  be  allowed   to  retain 

14  for  use  in  the  service,  the  horse  that  was  in  his  possession  when 

15  thus  taken  up;  and  at  any  time   that   the   horses  of  these  men 

16  beccme  unfit  for  service,  their  places  shall  be  supplied  by  others 

17  to  be  furnished  by  the  Government. 

1  Skc.  2.   A  board  of  appraisers  shall  be  appointed  by  the  com- 

2  manding  General  of  tho  army  to  which  such  regiment,  battalion 
5  or  company  is  attached,  which  shall   appraise  the  horses  thas 


4  taken  ;  and  shall  also  distinguish  them  as  belonging  to  classes  one, 

5  two,  three  and  four,  acccrding  to   quality,  and  the  owner  of  the 

6  horse  shall  make  his  election  to  receive  at  once  from  the  quarter- 

7  master  of  his  command,  the  appraised  value  of  his  horse,  or  a 

8  certificate  for  a  horse  of  the  class  to  which  his  belongs,  to  be 

9  furnished  him  by  the  Government  of  the  Confederate  States  six 

10  months  after  the  ratification  of  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  United 

11  States;  which  certificate  shall  be  epproved  by  the  commander  of 

12  the  brigade  to.which  the  man  belongs. 

1  Sec.  3.  When   any  enlisted  man  serving  in  cavalry  becomes 

2  dismounted,  and  is  unable  to  remount  himself,  upon  the  certificate 

3  of  his  immediate  commander,  approved  by  his  brigade  and  army 

4  commander,  that  he  has  been  a  gallant  and  faithful  soldier,  and 

5  takes  proper  care  of  his  horse,  the  quartermaster  of  his  immediate 

6  command   shall  furnish   him  a  Government   horse,  suitable  for 

7  cavalry    service,  for  which   his   company   commander  shall  re- 

8  ceipt. 

1  Sec.  4.  The  Secretary  of  War  shall  cause  the  Quartermaster 

2  General  to  make  immediate  arrangements  for  procuring  horses, 

3  suitable  for  cavalry,  in  sufficient  numbers  to  supply,  from  time  to 

4  time,  the  requirements  of  the  service  under  this  law.     He  shall 

5  also  adopi  such  regulations  for  the  recruiting  of  cavalry  horses, 

6  the  property  of  the  Government,  and  of  cavalrymen  who  have 


3 

7  not  the  facilities  for  recruiting  their  own  horses,  as  he  may  deem 

8  proper. 

1  Sec.  5.  When    any  cavalryman    fails  to  take  proper  care  of 

2  his  horse,  his  brigade  or  other  commander  shall    report  the  fact 
8  to  the  General  commanding  the  army   to  which  he  belongs,  who 

4  shall  assign  him  to  some  company  from  his  State  of  some  other 

5  arm  of  the  service. 

1  Sec  G.   Any  cavalry  officer  of  the  Confederate  States  service, 

2  who  shall  fail  to  exact  from  the  men  under  his  command  proper 

3  care  of  their    horses,  may,  upon  cetificate  of  the  facts  by  the 

4  brigade  inspector,  approved  by  the  brigade  and  division  command- 

5  ors  to  which  he  belongs,  be,  by  order  of  tho  commanding  Gene- 

6  ral,  dropped  from  the  rolls  and  conscribed  into  the  ranks. 

1  Sec.  7.  Any  infantry  soldier  who  has  been,  or  may  hereafter 

2  be  conspicuously  distinguished  for  his  gallantry  in  battle,  may 

3  claim  a  transfer  to  such  cavalry  command  belonging  to  the  army 

4  to  which  he  belongs,  as  he  may  select,  and  in  which  he  can  pro- 

5  cure  an  exchange,  and  he  shall  bo  furnished  with  a  Government 

6  horse  if  he  desires  it. 

1  Sec.  8.  Tho   Secretary  of   War,  under  the   direction  of  the 

2  President,  shall,  immediately  upon  the  passage  of  this  act,  cause 
S  steps  to  be  taken  to  ensure  the  importation  of  a  full  and  regular 

4  supply  of  cavalry  arms  of  the  mast  approved  patterns,  and  of 

5  such   ammunition  therefor  as  cannot  be  manufactured  in  the 


4 

6  Confederate  States,  and  also  of  such  amount  of  cavalry  equip- 

7  ments  as  he  maj  deem  necessary. 

1  Sec.  9.  The  Secretary  of   War,  under  the  direction  of  tie 

2  President,  shall  cause  to  be  procured  and  issued  to  cavalry  offi- 

3  cers,  under  such  regulations  as  he  may  prescribe,  the  most  ap- 

4  proved  work  on  cavalry  tactics  that  can  be  obtained. 

1  Sec.  10.  The  President  shall  cause  to  be  established,  in  con- 

2  nection  with  the  War  Department,  a  bureau  of  cavalry,  which 

3  shall,  under  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  be  charged  v/itli 

4  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  cavalry  service  of  the  Confederate 

5  States. 


